Just in time
by staceycity
Summary: This has nothing to do with any of the episodes. Totally made up. What happens when Eric follows a gut feeling regarding Calleigh?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Eric was pumping up some iron, trying to shake off this feeling he had in the pit of his stomach after a long day at work. It was actually quite late, but Eric couldn't sleep so he decided to burn the rest of the energy. Maybe it was that little incident with Calleigh that was still on his mind. He could still see her face standing mere inches away from him...

 _'Yeah OK I'm on my way. I'm leaving the lab now' he heard her say. She was talking to probably one of their colleagues on her phone as he approached her. Calleigh grabbed her bag and put her phone in it and turned to leave when she bumped in Eric's chest and almost lost her balance. Eric was quick though and immediately wrapped one arm around her and pulled her to him to keep her from falling on her back, as she wrapped her arms round his waist._

 _Their faces were so close. She was staring straight in his eyes, lips slightly parted and he could see her chest going up and down while she just stared without saying a word. Eric on the other hand was still holding her close to him, his brown eyes getting darker as he focused on her mesmerizing eyes. His lips were dry from the need to kiss those gorgeous lips, and instinctively he wet his lips. The simple gesture though snapped Calleigh out of the trance she seemed to have fallen in._

 _'Eric' she whispered._

 _Eric smiled then as he himself snapped out of the trance and dropped his hands from her 'Hey Cal, going somewhere?' he asked her._

 _Calleigh smiled that smile that makes her blush a bit every single time they have one of these moments 'Yeah. Oh shit we have to go. Wolfe and Natalia found two dead bodies floating in a pool. Apparently the neighbor reported that she hadn't seen them for two days in a row, which doesn't seem to be normal' Calleigh informed him._

 _'OK let's go' he told her as they made their way out together._

After that, things were quite normal, with no other particular moments really. To be exact, she did leave in quite a rush, hardly said goodbye to anyone, and Eric couldn't help but worry that it was because of that particular incident. She usually didn't fuss, it wasn't like this was the first incident they had, so why was this any different.

The thing was that even though Eric thought that that could possibly be what was worrying him, something deep down told him it wasn't. He was just uncomfortable, supporting this feeling that something was off, something that involves Calleigh.

'That's it. I'm going over to check on her' he told himself.

So he grabbed a t-shirt, grabbed his keys and wallet, gun just in case duty calls and ran out of his apartment.

It took him less than fifteen minutes to arrive in front of the building where Calleigh lives. He got out of the car and started making his way up to her apartment, and as he did, the feeling got even worse, and he was starting to smell something unusual in the corridors, and as he approached her door, the smell got even stronger. He frowned and knocked on her door.

'Calleigh...Calleigh are you in there?' he called out knocking hard on her door.

There was no answer and then he realized what the smell was and his eyes went wild 'Gas' he whispered and in a split second he kicked the door in and ran inside her apartment, the strong smell of gas hitting him. His eyes searched frantically for her in just a matter of seconds, when he suddenly found her passed out on the floor. Her hands and legs were tied up, and she had a cloth in her mouth. Her body was obviously placed in the kitchen right in front of the counter.

'Calleigh' he called out as he dropped on his knees in panic, quickly picking her up as she was and started running out of the apartment, down the stairs and just as he crossed the road there was a loud bang and glass shattered out to the streets, as suddenly her apartment caught fire.

Calleigh was still passed out and tied up and Eric quickly laid her on the pavement and quickly removed the cloth from her mouth and then the tape from round her hands and legs. He checked for a pulse and he realized that it was very weak.

'You hang in there Cal. Don't you there leave me' he told her, as he picked her up and placed her in the passenger's seat so he could keep and eye on her. In a matter of minutes, Eric was speeding his way to the hospital, the sirens disturbing the quiet night as he raced against time. He grabbed his mobile and dialed Horatio's number.

'H, I'm racing Calleigh to hospital. Her apartment is on fire' Eric told him and with that he hung up and focused on getting to the hospital.

He ran with her in his arms, Calleigh still completely out of it, while he called for help. A couple of nurses in the emergency area showed him the way to an available bed and asked him what happened. He quickly told them what he knew and then he had to exit the emergency room.

Eric was in a total shock. Someone had managed to make his way into her apartment, tied her up and tried to blow her up. He was pacing the hospital corridors, running his hand through his head, his eyes still wide and he could still feel his heart pounding hard in his chest.

Why would anyone want to kill her? Then he rolled his eyes at his stupid question! There were tons of people who would like to kill all of them. They were CSI's. What should he expect? He finally sat down and tried to pray to God to keep her safe and get her through this. He prayed that he wouldn't take her away from him.

The nurse was out not long after and informed him about the state she was in. She told him that if he hadn't brought her in when he did, it would have been too late. Eric almost fainted at that statement, but somehow managed to stand.

'Can I go in and see her?' he asked the nurse.

'Of course' she replied.

Eric thanked the nurse and proceeded on his way to her room. He pushed the door open and then closed it behind him. He needed some privacy with her. He needed to be with her alone without having anyone bothering them.

She was lying there in bed, face up, with a drip attached to her, along with other wires for other monitors. He could see that the bruises had already formed round her wrists and Eric had to remember how to breathe. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. He sat down on the chair next to her bed, and slipped his hand in hers, while he reached out his free hand to stroke her face. Even when a little pale, she looked so beautiful in his eyes.

'Calleigh...can you hear me?' he asked her as he stroked her head.

There was no answer and Eric really had to struggle with himself to keep from bursting into tears.

'You scared the shit out of me Duquesne' he started telling her 'You need to wake up alright...you need to tell us what you know, so we can catch the bastard who did this to you' he told her.

He heard a knock on the door and then Horatio peeped his head in and Eric had to leave the room but not before he kissed her hand and promised her he would be back soon.

'What happened?' Horatio asked him.

'I found her with her hands and legs tied up, a cloth in her mouth and the gas was on. I could smell it as I made my way to her apartment' Eric told him as he sat down. He needed to calm himself down and breathe. He could still see her lying there on the floor unconscious.

'We will find the bastard who did this' Horatio told him.

'H...if I had been a minute late...' and Eric just couldn't complete the sentence.

'You weren't' he told him 'Now go and stay with her and if we have any news, we'll let you know' Horatio told him.

'What about her apartment? Is it all gone?' Eric asked him and Horatio nodded 'Shit' he cursed.

'Whoever did this, wanted to make sure the job was completed' Horatio replied and with that he left. He knew she was in good hands now, so he could go back to work and try and figure out who did this to her.

It was three in the morning when Eric felt someone squeeze his hand softly and the sound of his name being whispered.

'Eric' he heard again.

He lifted his head and realized that Calleigh was awake and Eric could swear that the smile on his face lit up the rest of the room as he could finally see her eyes again.

'Hey, you're awake' he whispered.

'Where am I?' she asked still holding his hand in hers. She had this scared look on her face and her eyes were searching everywhere.

'Hey Cal, calm down. I'm here. You're safe' he told her as he stroked her head.

'What happened?' she asked him.

'What is it the last thing you remember?' he asked her with a frown.

'I remember walking into my apartment and closing the door behind me...and then...someone grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth' she told him 'What happened?' she asked him again.

She was a bit groggy but she could still see that he was struggling to tell her what happened 'Hey...Eric...tell me' she whispered stroking his hand with her thumb, to let him know it was OK to tell her whatever it was.

Eric looked at her then with a worried look on his face 'Cal...someone tried to kill you' he started telling her, and Calleigh gasped at that statement.

'How?' she asked him, feeling the tears burn the back of her eyes and then she saw the red marks on her wrists 'Was I tied up?' she asked him.

'You were' Eric replied with a nod 'I found you passed out on the floor in your kitchen. Your hands and legs were tied up, and you had a cloth in your mouth and...' but Eric had to stop and take a deep breath before continuing.

'And what?' she asked him.

'Calleigh...the gas was on. Whoever did this tried to blow you up' he told her and Calleigh gasped and burst into tears. Eric quickly climbed on the bed next to her and carefully pulled her in his arms, so that her head was resting on his chest. It wasn't very easy to get Calleigh Duquesne to cry, but tonight she was weak and someone tried to kill her, and she simply couldn't take it.

'Hey hey...I'm here. You're safe' Eric told her as he kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arms slowly, like he was trying to warm her up.

'Who saved me? What happened?' she asked him.

'I did' he told her and Calleigh looked up to look at him, their faces obviously very close in the position they were in.

'You saved me?' she asked him 'How?' she asked him, still looking in his eyes.

'I had this terrible feeling that something was off, and I just couldn't sleep. I was worried about you. I don't know it was like...like I sensed that you needed me...so I came to check on you' he told her with a shrug and then he closed his eyes as he remembered the way he had found her in and Calleigh quickly realized it.

'Hey Eric...I'm here, in your arms. Open your eyes' she told him, rubbing her face in his chest.

'I'm sorry' he whispered.

'It's OK. Then what happened?' she asked him.

'I just picked you up and ran down the stairs to get out of the building' Eric told her. He pulled her hand up and kissed it for her before continuing 'Calleigh...your apartment blew up' he told her.

'What?' she asked him as her voice broke.

'I'm sorry. I didn't try to turn the gas off. I was too scared. I couldn't think. All I could think about was getting you out of there' he told her.

Calleigh started crying again and as much as she hated it, she just couldn't stop. She wasn't blaming him or anything, but she was still in shock, and she did loose everything she had...including the bracelet Eric himself had given to her on her birthday. She loved that bracelet and now it was lost in the fire.

Eric was feeling so guilty for not saving her apartment as well but he just had no time to do it.

'Calleigh I swear I had no time to do anything except getting you out of there' he told her.

'I know' she sobbed 'I'm not blaming you. I'm just...shocked and I feel so tired and weak' she whispered as she tried to calm herself down.

'Why don't you try and rest? I'm not going anywhere. You're completely safe' he assured her.

'Will you keep holding me like this if I sleep?' she asked him.

'I wouldn't dream of doing anything else' he told her as he kissed her head again.

She lifted her head a bit then and kissed his chin 'Thank you Eric. You're my hero' she told him.

'You're welcome Cal. Try to get some sleep' he told her.

It didn't take her too long to sleep after that, as Eric still held her in his arms, until the sun rose again in a matter of hours.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

It was almost noon when Eric waltzed back into the hospital room to find Calleigh sitting on the edge of the bed, all dressed up again. He had just given the medical staff her signed released papers and he was given instructions that she needed to rest. Her immune system was weak, and knowing what her job entailed, God forbid a bullet wouldn't do well hitting her body at this moment.

'Oh I see you found the bag of clothes I brought for you' Eric told her as he made his way into the hospital room.

'Yeah, but these clothes are not mine' she replied.

'No they are Natalia's. She brought you some clothes so you won't have to wear the ones of last night' he told her.

'That's very kind of her' Calleigh replied with a smile, before it faded into a frown.

'Hey what's wrong?' Eric asked her putting a hand on her back.

'I'm released from hospital, but where am I gonna go?' she asked him.

'You're staying with me' he told her.

'Oh I can't impose Eric' she told him shaking her head.

'Cal, you're not. You know I don't mind having you stay with me' he told her 'And don't worry. The bed is all yours. I'll sleep on the couch' he told her, thinking that she was worried about that bit.

'Oh no I can't let you do that' Calleigh told him.

'Cal, it's fine really. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable' he told her.

'Look, we can discuss this later' she told him 'Right now I really want to get out of here' she continued.

She was about to grab the bag when Eric took it from her. Calleigh was about to protest that she can do such a simple task but the look Eric gave her told her that it is a lost cause. He wrapped one arm around her, and made their way to his car.

It wasn't too long after Eric was driving his car out of the parking lot when Calleigh broke the silence.

'Can we go over to my apartment?' she asked him cautiously.

'What for?' he asked with a frown, not really thinking it was a good idea.

'I want to go and see what happened' she told him. It was true...just not all of it. There was something else she wanted to do. Another reason she wanted to go there.

'Cal, I don't think it is a good idea' Eric replied 'There are still a lot of toxins and it won't do you good inhaling them' Eric replied.

He really didn't want to take her there, but he also knew that when Calleigh wanted something, she wouldn't stop before she got it.

'Fine' he replied with a regretful sigh.

The rest of the drive was a quiet one, as Eric thought about last night's events and how he had almost lost her for good. He thought about the state he found her in, all tied up and ready to blow up with the rest of her apartment. Calleigh on the other hand was pretty much thinking the same thing. She wanted to see though the state of her apartment, what was left of it that is. She only hoped that the one thing that she held dear the most was not lost in the fire.

As Eric, pulled the car to a stop, he got out of the vehicle and walked to the other side to help her out. He felt her slip her hand into his, and Eric couldn't help but squeeze it a bit.

There were still people running around the building, as the yellow tape guarded the area to protect civilians from entering the crime scene. One officer stopped them as they tried to cross the tape, but Eric quickly showed him his badge, so the officer let them continue one their way.

Her eyes were scanning every inch of the area, and Eric could sense how tense she suddenly was. He squeezed her hand a bit, letting her know she was not alone, and Calleigh looked up giving him half a smile.

They carefully made their way up to her apartment, and Calleigh realized that there were people running through her things. She could see Ryan and Natalia there and Calleigh hesitated a bit.

'Cal' Eric whispered.

'I'm fine' she told him 'Just not in the mood to talk a lot' she continued.

'We'll be quick' he assured her.

They made their way inside, and as Ryan and Natalia spotted them, they immediately stopped from what they doing and went to greet them.

'How are you feeling?' they asked her.

'OK' she replied with a nod.

Ryan looked at Eric but didn't say anything while Calleigh thanked Natalia for the clothes. They watched her step a side and while Eric remained next to their colleagues his eyes were on her. He watched her make her way into her bedroom and Eric frowned. It was like she was looking for something since she went straight into that room not even bothering to look at the primary scene, so Eric excused himself, cutting the argument short with Ryan, not really interested in hearing that he shouldn't have brought her here, and went to look for her. He found her sitting on the edge of the bed holding something in her hand. It was the only room that wasn't completely ruined as the door had been closed the whole time.

'Cal' he whispered as he approached from behind her.

She turned around and smiled at him, showing the shiny object in her hand.

'That's the bracelet I gave you on your birthday' he whispered in awe.

'Yeah. I was scared I lost it in the fire' she admitted to him.

'Does it really mean that much to you?' he asked her surprised 'Is this why you insisted on coming here?' he asked her.

'It does and yes it is the main reason I wanted to come here' she replied with a smile. Her eyes were turning a bit red, relieved that she hadn't lost such a precious object.

'I would have given you another one you know' he told her.

Calleigh smiled but didn't say anything. Instead she just let her head rest against his shoulders, as she felt him wrap one arm around her and then kiss the top of her head, completely oblivious of Ryan watching the whole thing.

'Shall we get out of here?' Eric asked her, knowing now that the bracelet was the only reason she wanted to come here in the first place.

'Yeah. I would love to take some clothes with me, but I know I can't' she continued 'Do you have any idea if they have any clues on who could have done this?' she asked him.

'No clues yet it seems as the fire destroyed a lot of evidence. Do you have any idea who could have done such a thing?' Eric asked her.

Calleigh tried to think, when it suddenly dawned on her.

'Eric...do you still have the tape and the cloth I was tied up with?' she asked him.

'No damn it. I left them on the pavement' he replied regretfully. How could he have been so careless with such possible evidence.

Calleigh got up from the bed and slowly approached the window area as she exited her bedroom, or what used to be a bedroom actually.

'They are still there' she said as she pointed ahead.

'Good. I'll tell Natalia so they can pick them up and analyse them' Eric told her.

She watched him approach her colleague while she tried to think. There was something familiar about the whole situation. It was like deja vu. A woman knocked unconscious...tied up...gas leak...

Eric was about to place his hand on her shoulders when she suddenly turned around to call him.

'What is it?' he asked her catching the look on her face.

'Fredrick Stanmore' she told him.

'What?' he asked her.

'Fredrick Stanmore. He was the first I arrested and I remember him clearly threatening me that I was going to regret it one day. He was sent to jail on a similar case. There were three cases actually but we only had enough evidence for one. The victim had survived the explosion as well' she told him.

Eric was about to go and inform Ryan on this possible lead when Calleigh stopped him 'Let's go to the lab' she told him.

'Calleigh you're supposed to be resting' he told her.

'I can rest afterwards' she told him.

'No Cal. The doctor released you on the precise instructions that you rest. You need to let your body heal' he told her.

'You think I can rest when there is someone out there who is trying to kill me? And what if he blows up your place as well? Then what? I can't Eric. We have to catch this bastard before he strikes again' she told him.

She had a point. If she was right about the possible attacker, then he was sure planning on striking again. If he figured out that Eric had saved her, then that would make him angrier and that means she is right. He would plan on attacking them both now.

'OK fine. Let's go' he told her.

They said their goodbyes quickly and as they made their way down the stairs to get to the car, they heard another explosion and instinctively, Eric shielded Calleigh as she buried her face in his chest. When it seemed that it was safe to exit the building, they came to a quick stop as a loud gasp escaped Calleigh's mouth as their eyes settled on what used to be Eric's hummer. Someone had managed to blow the hummer up.

They looked at each other and then scanned the area around them trying to spot something unusual when Calleigh's eyes met Stanmore's.

'It's him' she called out.

'Who Cal?' Eric asked as he tried to follow her eyes.

'Stanmore. He's here' she told him.

'Follow that car' Eric called out to the officers as they watched Stanmore drive away. They were stuck there as Eric called Horatio to let him know on the latest development and the state of his hummer. By now, Natalia and Ryan had made their way down, and Eric asked them to follow. They needed to catch him before he disappears again.

In the meantime, the sirens for the fire engine could already be heard, and Eric wrapped one arm around Calleigh. He could feel her muscles tense, almost as if his hand was not wanted on her.

'What is it?' he asked her.

'What do you mean?' she asked, pretending not to understand.

'You're tense' he told her.

'Of course I'm tense. That bastard tried to blow you up' she told him. Her eyes were wide in fear and frustration, and the fact that she was stuck here with no car, not healthy enough to chase him, made it even worse.

'But he didn't succeed and I'm fine. I'm here with you' he told her.

'And what if you hadn't been? I dragged you into this, and I just can't do that anymore' she told him.

'Cal what on earth are you talking about?' he asked her 'I'm pretty sure you didn't drag me into anything. You didn't call me to come and save you. I did that on my own because I sensed that you were in trouble. You didn't ask to stay with me or to give you a ride. I was the one who offered. It's me Cal. Just me. Don't blame yourself for something you have no control of. The bastard is sick in the head' he told her.

'I don't care Eric. All I care about is that your life is now in danger and it is all because of me' she told him. That was when Calleigh suddenly went pale and started hyperventilating. She was getting a panic attack. The thought that Eric could have been killed because of her...

'Calleigh...Calleigh breathe...calm down. Please Cal' Eric pleaded his eyes wide in panic as he held her in his arms for support. He was about to start panicking himself knowing that he couldn't get the car and rush her to the hospital. Luckily a paramedic was in the street, on the way to visit a patient, and came rushing to her aid. Opening his bag, he took out a small bottle and an injection and immediately injected her and that seemed to start calming her down as Eric informed him about the recent events.

'She needs to rest. This should help her and keep her down for a couple of hours. You need to get her home. If this happens again, it will be best to take her to hospital again' he told him before he left, making sure Calleigh was alright.

Calleigh was already passed out as Eric held her in his arms supporting himself on his knees. 'OK...we need to get a cab and take you home. The rest of the team can take care of Stanmore' he told her, and with that he picked her up in his arms and signaled a cab to take them home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

It was a couple of hours later when Eric got the call from Horatio updating him on the current situation with Stanmore while checking out on Calleigh. She was still fast asleep and Eric had to step out of his bedroom not to wake her up. It seems that after about an hour of chasing Stanmore, he ended in a ball of flames himself, as his car skid into a trailer carrying fuel while the rest of the officers watched.

Natalia had gone back to the primary scene to try and get some new evidence from what was left of Eric's hummer while continue to check on other leads from Calleigh's apartment while Wolfe and Horatio made sure to check out the other scene where Stanmore was now dead. Two bodies were found at the scene and Alexx managed to identify the body of Stanmore, along with the driver's body who was behind the wheel of the trailer carrying the fuel, who so happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Natalia also managed to get some finger prints from the tape that Calleigh had been tied up with and linked it to Stanmore, while the hummer's explosion was also linked to him from other evidence that was found on scene.

Eric took a long deep breath and thanked Horatio for the update. He walked back to his bedroom and stared at her as she slept in his bed. He closed his eyes and thanked God that she was alright and safe again. She shifted a bit in his sleep and her hair covered her face, and Eric simply couldn't help but reach out and push the blonde locks behind her ear, caressing her cheek in the meantime. She moaned a bit in her sleep as a smile crept up and Eric couldn't help but smile too.

What was happening here?

He could feel the way that he was looking at her, like she was the most beautiful precious thing he had ever laid eyes on.

'I'm so glad I have you in my life Cal' he whispered as he continued caressing her cheek as he sat down next to her on the edge of the bed.

It was like she heard him when her eyes opened slowly, blinking her eyes a bit to clear the fog in her eyes as her blue orbs settled on the figure in front of her.

'Eric' she whispered.

'Hey...how are you feeling?' he asked her.

'A bit groggy' she replied 'What happened?' she asked him realizing she was lying in bed once again.

'You got a panic attack and started hyperventilating' he told her.

'But I'm not in hospital' she told him and Eric smiled.

'No you're at my house' he replied. By now Eric had removed his hand from her face and placed it on her hand, next to her head as she laid on her side.

'Oh. How did we get here?' she asked him and then she recalled the previous events that triggered the panic attack and was about to get up when Eric stopped her.

'Calm down everything is fine' he told her.

'But?'

'Stanmore is dead' he informed her, and that seemed to calm her down a bit 'You can relax now. We're safe' he told her as he cupped the side of her face and stroked it for her in comfort.

He watched her swallow hard as she pressed her lips tight, her nostrils flared as she tried to control the emotions that were flooding her as tears threatened to spill, and as their eyes connected, Eric bent down, slipping his arms under her and pulled her into a hug. Her arms settled round his neck and he felt her rest the side of her face against his. He closed his eyes, relishing this moment which seemed to drag out more than usual, like neither of them wanted to let each other go, and when Calleigh finally released slightly her hold enough so she could look at him, her face stopped too close to his and Eric was frozen. His brown eyes dropped to her lips and Calleigh just stood there, watching him, not moving an inch...not saying a word. Just waiting for him to make a move. His right arm dropped on its own accord and settled on her hip while he kept on supporting her back with a flat hand in the middle, staying inches away from each other.

'Cal' he whispered, as her nickname slipped easily from her lips. She felt him squeeze her hip a bit making her shift a little as her eyes flattered causing her lips to brush against his and Eric groaned at the feeling. Calleigh moaned at that feeling utterly drawn to him when Eric suddenly presses his lips against hers. He kissed her slowly but longingly, the wheels in his head releasing steam as he is trying to wrap his mind around what is happening when just like he started it, Eric suddenly ends the kiss. Calleigh is in a daze as she tries to wrap her mind around what just happened. She stared in his eyes for what seemed like a split second when Eric suddenly got up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom without saying a word.

Calleigh watched him disappear, as she continued to stare at the empty doorway in front of her, while Eric was pacing back and forth in the living room like crazy running his hand through his head, until he finally tired himself and sat down on the couch. He dropped his head down, resting his elbows on his thighs and sighed. How could he do that? Why did he kiss her? He was going out of his mind, thinking that he ruined everything when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He slowly looked up to find Calleigh wearing his huge shirt standing in front of him, looking utterly breath taking.

'Eric' she whispered.

'Cal I'm so sorry' he told her. Calleigh frowned a bit at that and sat down next to him making Eric tense.

'What are you apologizing for?' she asked him trying to understand.

'I kissed you' he told her as he shifted a bit so he could look at her.

'And I kissed you back' she replied softly, one leg slightly bent on the couch. He was staring at her as she laid there sitting next to him in just his shirt, her hair completely ruffled from sleep, her face utterly flawless without make up on.

'You're not upset with me?' he asked her 'I shouldn't have done that Cal' he told her.

'Eric...' Calleigh started 'Breathe. Relax. We're good' she assured him.

'I don't understand' he replied confused. He was so sure that she was going to be furious with him, telling him that he is to stay away from her, that he has crossed a line this time, that they couldn't, shouldn't, be together, that he was insane, and instead she sits there and tells him that they are good.

Calleigh shifted closer to him and took his larger hands in hers, her thumbs caressing his hands, as her blue eyes stared lovingly into his, a little smile on her face 'Eric...you and I...we have known each other for a lot of years now...and...I trust you in a way like I trust no one else. We have been there for each other through so much...and I have always felt so comfortable with you...and for all these years...we have teased each other...flirted with one another in our own ways...so I guess you kissing me...was really the inevitable happening after you had just saved my life' she told him carefully weighing every word she was saying. He was looking at her trying to figure out where she was going with this, as he could feel his heart rattle his rib cage.

'What are you saying Cal?' he asked her. Her nickname seemed to keep falling freely out of his mouth.

'I'm saying...that I almost lost my life and you would have never known how I truly feel about you' she told him. It was like there was a sudden light on her face, a light...a smile...that he had never seen before. It was like she was finally setting herself free. Eric swallowed hard as he embraced himself for what she was going to say next.

'Eric...I like you...I have always like you...I want you...I have always wanted you...and I am tired of fighting it. I'm tired of pretending that we are just colleagues...friends...because I know that we are so much more than that' she told him.

Eric was still staring at her, completely speechless. He had never, not in a million years, had he ever imagined that Calleigh Duquesne would sit in front of him, and say such beautiful words to him. Those kind of things only happened in his dreams.

'Look I know this is a shock to you. That you have never imagined me saying such things but Eric please say something' she told him beginning to worry that she might have gotten the wrong idea about the two of them, but all Eric could do was cup her face with one hand and crush his lips hard against hers.

Calleigh held onto him as she shifted on top of him, straddling him, her hands resting against his chest, as his fingers slid into her soft blonde hair, his tongue inside her heavenly mouth dancing with hers until Eric had the sense to pull softly away, remembering that she still needed to recuperate especially after she hyperventilated couple of hours ago.

He rested his forehead against her, as his hand remained cupping her cheek, while the other one rested flat on her back, as if to make sure she won't get off him too soon.

'Do you realize...how long I have waited to be like this with you?' he asked her.

'Probably for as long as I have' she replied with a smile and that was when Eric pulled back a bit. He needed to look into her eyes.

He smiled at her and stroked her face 'Oh Cal...' he whispered in awe and then he started chuckling.

'What's so funny?' she asked him.

'Nothing. I'm just deliriously happy' he told her, and Calleigh couldn't help but giggle at his silliness.

'Why did you hold this on for so long?' he asked her, still stroking her face. He just couldn't seem to get enough.

'It's just that I always tried to keep work and personal relationships separate' she replied with a shrug 'Well that was until you came along hot shot' she told him with her usual adorable smile and Eric laughed harder.

'Mm I made it that difficult eh?' he teased. He couldn't seem to get that stupid grin off his face and Calleigh couldn't help but laugh.

'Stop grinning you idiot' she told him slapping his shoulder with a laugh 'Let's just say that it was hard to focus at times' she admitted.

She leaned down then and placed her head against his shoulder, and Eric wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead as he heard her sigh, that smile still on her face.

'Are you alright?' he asked her.

'Never better' she replied as she cuddled her face in his neck, and Eric smiled contentedly as he rested his head against hers and sighed happily, finally having Calleigh in his arms, right where he always wanted her to be.


End file.
